Brick drying and conveying apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

J. H. MOKBNZIE. I .BRIGK DRYING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.16.1906.

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PATBNTED FEB. 19, 1907.

- J. H. MCKENZIE.

BRICK DRYING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

- APPLIUATION FILED NOV.1fi,1906.

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w QN 672216; l/VVENTQR W/ TNESSES A TTORNE 1 5 JOHN HENRY MQKENZIE, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

BRICK DRYING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed November 16,1906. Serial No. 343,760.

To It whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY McKEN- ZIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Brick Drying and Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brick drying and conveying apparatus; and its object is to simplify and cheapen the construction of apparatus of this character and to render the same more eilicient.

A still further object is to dispense with the use of cars for conveying bricks through the apparatus, thereby greatly reducing the cost of installing and maintaining the drier.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings, F igure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the apparatus, a portion of the structure being removed and the trucks for delivering pallets to and receiving them from the structure being shown in position at opposite ends of said structure. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the lower portion of the drier and showing a pallet in position therein. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pallet and showing a pair of supporting-rollers. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the roller-track, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through a pallet.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 is the housing of the apparatus, the same being constructed either of wood or masonry and having a ventilating-stack 2 located at any desired point. The contents of the housing may be heated in any desired manner, either by hot air or steam. here hot air is used as a heating medium, the working parts within the housing are preferably made of metal, whereas if steam is employed for heating purposes all of the working parts are preferably constructed of wood. The housing may of course be of any preferred length, and extending longitudinally thereof upon suitable supports 3 are rails 4, having upstanding ears 5 thereon at regular intervals, said ears being arranged in pairs and each ear having a recess 6. These recesses are adapted to receive trunnions 7, extending from opposite faces of rollers 8, which are loosely supported between the ears, one roller being located between the ears of each pair. In order that stacks of bricks can be conveyed through the housing and sub jected to heat therein, a series of similar pallets is provided, each pallet formed of longitudinal strips 9, connected by cross-slats 10. \Vooden or metal wear-strips 11 may be secured upon the lower faces of these strips 9 and are adapted to rest upon the rollers 8, the strips 11 and 9 being of sullicient length to contact with a large number of rollers at the same time. Guard-flanges 12 may be extended downward from the inner edges of the wear-strips 11, so as to overlap the rollers and prevent lateral movement of the pallets. As heretofore stated, a series of these pallets is employed, and the pallets are adapted to be brought to one end of the housing upon a truck 13, on which are located rails 4, carrying rollers 5, and when the rails on the truck aline with those in the housing the pallet on which bricks are stacked is pushed from the truck and onto the rollers within the housing. This operation is repeated, the pallets being supplied successively to the inlet end of the housing and. pushed therethrough. As these pallets slowly travel through the housing bricks stacked thereon are subjected to the action of the heat within the housing and dried. \Vhere pipes 14 are used for conducting steam, &c., through the housing in order to dry the bricks, it is possible with this construction to dispose the pipes close to the pallet, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, said pipes being located between the rails. The efficiency of the apparatus is thus greatly increased.

Instead of constructing the pallets in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and as hcreinbefore described said pallets maybe made of metall in which event the longitudinal strips 15 will be channeled and be connected by metal, slats 16, as shown in Fig. 5. The channeled strips 15 will embrace the rollers S and prevent lateral displacement of the pallet. It will of course be understood that a truck 17 will be located at the outlet end of the housing, said truck being similar to truck 13 and carrying a roller-track 18 similar to the track within the housing, so that the pallets can be moved successively onto said truck and then conveyed to suitable points.

It will be seen that by employing a drying apparatus such as herein described the cars turned, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the usually employed are dispensed with, and the construction and cost of the apparatus is therefore greatly simplified and reduced. The movement of the pallets through the housing can be timed so that the bricks can be maintained within the housing for any desired period. As heretofore stated, the mechanism within the housing is preferably constructed entirely of wood if steam heat is employed for drying the bricks; but if hot air is utilized as a heating medium all of the working parts are preferably made of iron or other metal. The rails 4 can be very easily constructed by rolling a strip having outstanding ears, which can be subsequently uptrunnions of the rollers. The rollers are not held in place by any securing means and can therefore be quickly removed and replaced for cleaning or repairing. It is of course understood that the rails 4 are fastened to the supports 3 in any preferred manner, as by means of bolts or screws 19.

The preferred form of the invention has been set forth in the foregoing description; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made thereas fairly fall within the scope of the claim.

hat is claimed is In drying apparatus the combination with a housmg having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends, and brackets within the housing; of rails supported upon the brackets, each rail having pairs of integral upstanding ears thereon at predetermined intervals, a roller journaled between the ears of each pair, a pallet movably mounted on the rollers and comprising longitudinal strips, angleirons secured upon said strips and bearing upon and overlapping the adjoining faces of the rollers, and slats connected to the longitudinal strips, and a heating device interposed between and above the rails and below the pallets.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN HENRY MCKENZIE.

Witnesses:

M. KELLY, H. F. BLAOKSTON. 

